


Winter

by Teese



Series: Reviving the Flame [1]
Category: Ylvis
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Emotional, Falling In Love, Family Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 11:15:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1646648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teese/pseuds/Teese
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bård and Vegard perceive the world quite differently, and although they used to be very close when they were younger, they have been unable to maintain that closeness. Bård met the woman of his dreams and quickly came to realize that he wanted a family, a large one, and Vegard didn’t support this dream. Something happened between them, something that ruined their friendship, and Vegard left town. His place was in the army, and Bård’s place was with his family… </p><p>Then everything changed, forcing Vegard to reclaim his role as Bård’s big brother. But that is easier said than done… especially after the tragedy hit. One has to ask oneself if Bård will ever be able to recover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ashes - Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I have worked on this story for six months now. It will be long and there will be a lot of feelings involved here.

_Vegard hadn’t visited his hometown for months, not since that gloomy day in January, and although he had regretted it ever since, he hadn’t managed to pull his act together and simply apologize for his behaviour. But because he knew that even if his words had been harsh, they had been the truth indeed, and it would’ve been revealed sooner or later. It wasn’t his task to apologize for it, even if it would’ve been the easiest._

_Things were different now._

_Changed._

_And it was final. It couldn’t be redone._

_Calle had attempted to get in touch with the oldest sibling ever since the horrific accident had occurred, but being in the army sometimes meant that he would be out of reach, and for days he had been unaware. He had thought life to be quite good, and then, as soon as he was back at the military base, his illusion had been shattered. From the moment he had noticed Calle standing there, eyes red and puffy, he had known. Everything had changed – his view of the world had been shocked to the very core…_

_Bergen looked the same as always though. And Calle. Calle never changed; apart from the fact he had been crying his eyes out. Vegard sighed wearily, trying to keep himself from doing the same. His friend noticed, as he had been watching the dark-haired from the corner of his eye. He knew what would soon great them would be everything but pleasant, and he sympathized._

_“You shouldn’t blame yourself for this,” the blonde muttered as they pulled into the driveway to Bård’s house. The curtains were drawn and there were no visible signs of life coming from the inside. A growing feeling of distress seemed to settle in the younger man’s stomach, and he knew exactly how bad this situation could get. “How can I not?” he asked and looked to Calle again, his eyes sincere as he told him no: “you can’t blame yourself for what happened. You weren’t the one driving that truck, so please… stop torturing yourself?”_

_“It’s… you don’t get it… I blame myself for not being here, not for the… accident.”_

_Calle bit his lip in a thoughtful manner, frowning deeply as he spoke. “Well, you have to do your military service, right?” Vegard merely groaned in response. It was no valid excuse to him. “Still. I know what he’s like, and I’m the only person who does… God knows what-”_

_“I get it, I get it. Now, get your ass out of my car and into that house.”_

_“Aren’t you coming with?”_

_“Nope. He wasn’t overjoyed to see me last night, to be honest with you.”_

_“Okay - Oh shit, the key, I forgot-“_

_“Here,” Calle said and smiled, holding the key up under the younger man’s nose. “I stole it before I left.”_

_“Thanks dude. I… I owe you one.”_

_His footsteps were heavy against the frozen ground as he walked up to the door and silently unlocked it. Inside it was cold, far colder than he preferred it to be, and he quickly realized that the heating was more or less out. As he took a few hesitant steps further into the hallway, he felt something crunch from the pressure of his heavy army boots. Taking a closer look, he noticed that glass had been shattered all around the place and a mirror was laying face down next to the shoe rack._

_“Shit,” he muttered quietly to himself and made his way towards the combined kitchen and living room area. There everything was dark, seeing every light bulb had been shattered and pieces of broken glass were spread all over the floor. It would’ve been an unpleasant surprise for anyone not wearing shoes._

_He continued up into the second floor, taking the stairs, and to his surprise, or perhaps expectations, there were bloodstains everywhere. Not puddles, but small drops of blood spread across the carpeted steps and all the way to the bedroom. It was only just then he realized how much work Bård had finished on his own, and although it wasn’t the time for it he felt kind of proud. The thought quickly vanished though as he continued his search frantically. The blood trail hadn’t calmed him._

_“Bård?” he called out gently and yet there were no signs of life anywhere in the room. The bedroom too was wrecked, the recently purchased furniture reduced to nothing but matchwood. Vegard felt increasingly more panicked by each second that went by, and once again he called out for his brother. “Bård?” his voice was now quavering, Vegard frightened._

_The search gave no results, and he wandered further down the hallway until he came across a door with large painted letters, pink and purple ones, and it said: “Sofie.” Vegard felt a pang of sorrow in his heart as he thought of the baby, not yet born and due to the drunk driver, she never would see the light of day. Buried inside the womb._

_There was a slight sound from behind the closed door, one that he assumed to be his baby brother. His heart wrenched at the sound of his sobs, much like it had always done when they were younger and Vegard had tended to Bård as if he was his own child. It felt as if a knife was piercing though his chest, and he couldn’t help himself. He had to go inside. Had to get to Bård._

_He had expected for Sofie’s room to be as wretched as the rest of the house, yet everything seemed untouched, everything but the huddle of hair and limbs on the carpet, a bottle of vodka in one hand and a crumpled up photography in the other. It gasped helplessly, as if it couldn’t breathe, and Vegard rushed to its side._

_“Bård,” he sighed and allowed for his fingers to run through unkempt locks of hair. The youngster hadn’t washed since the police had been at his door, three days ago. The realization made his eyes well up. “You can’t lie here, the floor is freezing cold,” he whispered into his brother’s ear and attempted to get him back onto his feet, yet the heavy consumption of alcohol made it difficult. “Help me out here, Bård,” he pleaded, yet there was no use. Bård wasn’t going anywhere._

_Vegard sighed heavily as the realization hit him, and he knew he had to be clever. Perhaps if Bård couldn’t walk to the bed himself, Vegard could get the bed to him. “Don’t go anywhere…” he whispered, but mainly to himself, not his nearly unconscious brother._

_The white winter sun was what woke him up that Tuesday and he silently cursed himself for not having drawn the curtains. He then realized there were no remaining curtains in the living room. Bård had so gracefully removed them while he hadn’t been there, and they lay in a heap on the floor._

_Vegard decided that he couldn’t stay asleep any longer that morning. He went upstairs to check on Bård instead; Bård who still hadn’t woken up and was still snoring softly. The room was so beautiful, all pink and girly, and Vegard realized that Maria must’ve been the one behind it. Perhaps it was why he had chosen to spare it, seeing it was the only remnants of the life he had come to love. It was the only proof left._

_Seeing his brother in such a vulnerable state made his heart drop. He was a beautiful man, one that deserved the best in life, and yet such things had never been granted to him. Life was mocking him, hurting and punishing him, and for what? Vegard would never understand that. He just wished he could’ve been there for him, to comfort and provide for him from the second they got to know. But it wasn’t the case, and he could never change that. His eyes filled with tears again, and he nearly started crying. Luckily someone prevented it from happening._

_Bård shifted on the mattress, then groaned. “W-what the hell…?”_

_Vegard shook his head as their eyes met. Bård’s eyes were red and sore, and from the second he saw his brother, they were also welling up with unspoken tears. “Vegard,” he whispered, his voice quavering, but something about his face changed. He didn’t look too pleased with him anymore. “What the hell are you doing here?”_

_“I-“_

_“You what? You’re sorry, is that what you are?”_

_“Yes, I’m sorry that I haven’t been here with you, but I didn’t know. I didn’t have any fucking idea-”_

_“No, because you were far away… missing,” Bård growled, his voice getting darker and angrier for every sentence he spoke. “I’m in the goddamn army, Bård! I don’t have a choice. You know that.” Bård shook his head in what could’ve been defeat, hadn’t he been so hopelessly stubborn. “But I was here all alone. The police came on my door, and they asked me to… to…”_

_Bård hid under the covers again, wanting nothing but to disappear into the black nothingness of the night once more. Vegard crouched down next to him, trying not to startle him any further, yet one could never be too carful around his baby brother whenever the world was turning its back on him. Because of his role as his big brother and once also his provider, Bård couldn’t see that Vegard too had lost someone dear to him. Their mother was their mother, not only Bård’s, and Vegard had been much closer to her than he ever had. But Bård still considered himself to be the baby, a side of him that Vegard had nurtured for years and years. It was his fault._

_“You had to identify them?” he asked and put a protective arm around his younger brother, his chest tightening at the mere thought of it. Bård attempted to keep his tears back as the words stumbled though his lips: “I didn’t recognize them, not before I saw the belly. A fire… a fire had broken out… they were… no.”_

_Bård nearly gasped out loud, one hand flying back to his mouth as he fought bravely. He felt betrayed by his brother, and although he was aware of how childish it seemed, he had his reasons. Of course he had, and Vegard knew them all too well. Still he had left, and all the horrors he had been forced to face alone in the run of only a few days? Bård’s pain was obvious to anyone._

_“Bård,” Vegard whispered and leaned against the wall, forcing his brother’s body with him in the swift movement. He fought though, not at all wanting his brother to wrap his arms around him, and he more or less fell into Vegard’s lap. “No,” he said and made a half-hearted attempt on escaping the forced embrace, yet Vegard wouldn’t let go of him. “Let me go, you fucking ape!”_

_“Sit still, please…?”_

_“No, I want to be alone! Leave me the hell alone!”_

_“I’m not going anywhere. Okay?”_

_Bård wanted to protest, he really did, but the warmth from Vegard’s body against his own felt so good now that he hadn’t been close to another human being for days. Vegard cradled him in his arms, only inches away from his face, and Bård could feel his steady breath against his face. He couldn’t hold back on the tears anymore, and Vegard both saw and felt it coming, like the lull before the storm. A sob slipped from the youngster’s lips, one that shattered his heart into a million pieces. He wondered how many times it needed be shattered._

_“I’m not leaving you again, Bård,” he whispered soothingly into his baby brother’s ear and continued to gently rock him in his arms, receiving nothing but muffled sobs. Vegard realized he was still wearing his army clothes, a green shirt that he had worn for days already. He probably smelled like pinewood and dirt and smoke from the fire. As the tears were floating freely by then, a wet spot appeared on his chest where Bård had buried his face. “I’m not going back there. I’m gonna stay with you. I promise.”_

_Bård fell asleep again, soothed by his brother’s promises. Vegard stayed with him for an hour or so, the feeling of just being close too precious for words to say. He remembered their childhood. He remembered how often he had held his brother like that, but the trauma he now suffered was something new. And Vegard was scared, so scared that he didn’t know how to handle it. But he knew he had to fix it, make things good again, because now all they had was each other._

_There were empty bottles everywhere. Vegard had wanted to clean out the house, but he soon realized that cleaning up after his brother wasn’t going to be an easy task. And what bothered him more was the fact that Bård had been continuously drunk for days and days. It genuinely frightened him, because he knew what was in both their genes. Neither of them handled alcohol very well, and the reason was simple enough. One could’ve thrown a glance at their mother back in the old days and quickly fall on a conclusion. It was enough evidence that neither of them should even touch alcohol, and at least keep it to a bare minimum, something the younger brother didn’t want to listen to._

_When Bård woke up, he instinctively started searching for something to drink, and he became aggressive as soon as he realized that his brother had emptied out every bottle. He had hoped it would be enough to stop him from acting too irrational, but it wasn’t. From the second he tried to escape, Vegard knew he had to intervene. Bård didn’t appreciate it._

_“For fuck’s sake,” he sneered as he tried to open the door, yet Vegard stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on his face. “I’m not going anywhere, Bård, and neither are you.” His younger brother looked a little shaken at the statement, but quickly brushed it off and turned on his heel, about to enter the kitchen when Vegard tackled him to the ground. The veranda door was off limits too. “Get the hell off me! I’ll call the fucking police if you don’t-“_

_“Listen. You’ve been drinking nonstop the last three days.”_

_“Is it fucking strange?! Wouldn’t you if you were me?”_

_“You wouldn’t have let me, because you know me.”_

_Bård huffed, but didn’t fight anymore. Instead he broke into tears. Vegard moved forward to touch his arm but he flinched away, sobbing harder. “Bård,” he whispered, yet his brother wouldn’t stop to listen. He cried inconsolably, and Vegard had no idea of what to do. The world seemed as if it was indeed going to end right then and there, and he felt guilty for not being able to pull himself together. Bård was the one suffering, and he needed to care for him. If he didn’t, then who would? No one._

_Strong arms, built up from years in the army, lifted the youngster up and carried him to the couch. He squirmed a little, but not nearly enough to be putting up a fight, probably because he knew that Vegard was indeed stronger than him. Had he been working out nearly as much as him, he would’ve been quite dangerous to handle. But Vegard knew to push the right buttons for everything, more or less._

_“You’re not going drown your sorrows like mom, okay?” his voice echoed the desperation visible in his brother’s tear-stained face. Their eyes met, cold blue against warm brown, and Vegard couldn’t help but to brush away a single warm and salty tear. Bård didn’t flinch this time, but looked rather guilty. “I won’t,” he whispered quietly, so quietly he almost couldn’t hear. “I won’t promise you anything!”_

_“Stop playing games already.”_

_Bård looked away. Vegard huffed, but realized that perhaps words wouldn’t soothe him just yet. He needed someone there, someone stable to guide him through._

_“Look,” he whispered and sat down next to his brother on the couch, close but not too close, and received a hurt look. “I’ll make us some breakfast, yeah?” he asked pleadingly and received a muffled “Ok.” Vegard sighed, a little relieved._

_Things were a little better after breakfast. Or at least a little calmer, and Vegard wasn’t entirely certain whether it was good or bad. All to be honest, Vegard had no idea what a person who had lost his entire family should act like, and he didn’t know how to reach out to him anymore. He just seemed angry and sad and desperate all at once, and it was difficult to communicate with him at all._

_Bård eventually fell asleep again, on the couch this time, and Vegard was glad he was able to watch over him. Glad he was able to be there for him… but one question remained unanswered…_

_What would he do next?_


	2. Christmas Cancelled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two months have gone by since tragedy struck. Vegard is desperate to make things better, to make his brother feel better, but Bård is angry… How is Vegard supposed to deal with everything that's going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel generous today :p hope you like it! 
> 
> Comments are very appreciated :D

_The wind howled about the house. Bergen had always been a windy place to live, a coastal town where the weather would never be just like one expected it to be. Especially in winter, they would never know whether there would be wind, rain or even snow. The day before had been rather horrid, Vegard thought to himself, and he clearly remembered the sleet that had made driving more than a little difficult. Today was something different._

_Icy snowflakes fell to the ground. Sunlight from outside made the ice frosting on the windowpanes glow, and there were wisps of smoke drifting from the chimney. In a week, Father Christmas would come knocking on their door, and Vegard had only just started the annual Christmas preparations. Not a thing in the world could keep him from celebrating._

_He could remember the way his grandmother and mother had prepared the house for Christmas back in the good old days, the days before Bård was old enough to remember anything. Vegard had never told him about those few Christmases’ he had spent as a child, and he did so to protect Bård from the truth that had been so severely suppressed. His baby brother needed not know of those memories, because from all that he could remember, Vegard was the one to prepare for Christmas. But there was a gap._

_Maria was their gap in brotherhood._

_December was a painful reminder of the past four years. It gave life to Vegard’s guilty conscience, reborn as something ugly, something grotesque that wouldn’t let go of his heart and soul. Vegard had been in the army for three of those ghastly years, and he had never once looked back. The reason why was simple enough. He had been jealous of her, and at the same time, he had wanted Bård to be happy. But having spent his entire childhood nurturing his baby brother, his Bård… his bitterness wouldn’t let go. Now his shoulders were burdened by the awareness he had once blamed on everybody else._

_Now Bård was the bitter one. Life had taken all those he had cared for, and he wasn’t even trying to recover anymore. Vegard didn’t blame him though. His losses were tremendous, and he knew he couldn’t make a full recovery. Not ever. But he didn’t kill himself, and he hadn’t tried to commit suicide since the funeral. Vegard made sure that he wouldn’t, because he wouldn’t leave him alone with his demons. He needed to know that he wasn’t alone._

_Thus Christmas._

_The tree in the living room was decorated with newly bought Christmas decorations, and there were no reminders of his family elsewhere than the nursery. Her private items had never made it to the house in the first place, seeing it was supposed to be her gift for Christmas. The baby should’ve come that month. Everything was a painful reminder to Bård, and the thought had surely crossed Vegard’s mind. Now he could only wait for Bård to wake up and hope for the best outcome possible, yet it was naïve of him to think that it would be easy. After all, this was a first, like the doctor had so nicely put it. The first time after someone’s death is always the hardest, he had said. Vegard already knew._

_He had purchased the very same Christmas coffee he had before Maria entered the picture and put everything upside down. It was for Bård, not himself. Vegard had never cared for coffee, didn’t like the bitter taste of it, but he knew how to make a proper cup of coffee for his brother. It was tradition._

_The Christmas brawn had been carefully sliced and put on the thin pastry, a thin layer of mustard spread over it and then rolled into a sausage. The egg wasn’t soft-boiled and it wasn’t hard-boiled. Everything was just to Bård’s liking, and eventually, every little detailed had been tended to. Christmas filled each and every room of the building like it was supposed to. Eventually the scent reached Bård’s nostrils and within minutes of having finished making breakfast, he was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, staring at his brother with an amazed expression to his angelic face._

_“What the hell?” he asked, his arms folded over his chest and obviously bewildered by the generosities of the breakfast table. Vegard poured him a cup of the freshly brewed coffee and handed it to him with a thin, almost weary smile. He was hoping, and Bård saw it. Vegard was struggling to make him happy, and this was another attempt. A soulless Christmas, Bård thought, and he accepted the coffee without any further protest._

_“Look,” Vegard said and nearly melted into his chair, exhausted from hours of preparations. “I don’t think we can solve anything by not celebrating Christmas. I mean… it’s literally everywhere we look anyways. It’s December, and… well-“_

_“Don’t apologize for everything, jeez.”_

_Bård rolled his eyes and took a sip out of the coffee. The familiar taste unfolded in his mouth, and he felt a little uneasy. He should’ve just gone with the regular kind. “I know it’s not what you… what you wanted.”_

_“I don’t want to celebrate this year,” Bård said with such simplicity in his voice that caused Vegard to shudder with unpleasantness. “But I can’t really keep you from doing so… I find it a little weird though, seeing you never made time to come when Maria invited you…” Vegard looked to the floor, ashamed. “I’m sorry, Bård.”_

_“I don’t want to be here with all these goddamn decorations everywhere, you know?”_

_“I… I know. I’m sorry Bård.”_

_“No, you’re not. I know what you’re doing, and I don’t want it, okay? You cannot replace my family, and I pity you for even trying. You’re being pathetic, and I fucking hate you for it.”_

_Vegard felt his mouth go dry at the comment. The words were harsh and sounded nothing like the brother he loved, yet that brother had been gone for a long time by then. “I’m not trying to replace anyone, okay?” Vegard whispered, nearly without a sound, and Bård rolled his eyes again. “You’re making it too fucking obvious. Do you honestly think I don’t remember what it was like to celebrate Christmas, just the two of us? Did you think you could cover up what she was doing instead of caring for us? I too smelled the alcohol on her breath, and I too saw the bruises on her skin… I’m not fucking stupid Vegard.”_

_Bård took a half-hearted bite out of the carefully prepared food and downed the lukewarm coffee, giving his brother a hard glare as he did. Vegard looked as if he was going to dissolve, nearly trembling, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Bård wanted to feel guilty, but he couldn’t. He somehow felt like he hated his brother for trying so hard._

_“If you don’t take these crappy decorations out of my home by tomorrow, I swear to God, I’m going to leave you alone for Christmas and beyond that.”_

_The cup fell to the floor and shattered into countless pieces. Bård had the usual smug smile on his lips as he walked out of the kitchen, pleased to have startled his big brother. In his mind, Vegard deserved everything that was coming to him. An undefined emotion passed across Vegard’s glassy eyes before fading back into the depths of his dark brown pools. No tears fell, yet he could feel his heart shatter in the same way the porcelain cup had. In that way, Christmas had ended before it had even begun._

_Later that day, Vegard decided to take a stroll. As he was about to walk out the door, his phone started vibrating and he inhaled sharply, hoping it wasn’t another self-proclaimed saint who wished to invite them over for the holidays. People were even a little offended when he told them no, that they already had plans together. He had realized the selfishness of most family members years ago, and he shrugged it of easily. The way he had been raised, there was no point in trying to mend the relationship to a family that had never had his back in the first place._

_He threw a weary look at the screen, and he was relieved to find that it wasn’t any of his aunts or cousins. The name was that of a beloved friend, the only one who had ever had his back, at least from what he could remember. He was glad he called, seeing he needed someone to ease his pain. Calle was good at that._

_“Hey,” Vegard said and rested against the door, throwing a nervous glance up the stairs, hoping for dear life that his brother wasn’t coming downstairs. He didn’t want to confront him twice, especially not after having been silenced in such a way. “Get your lazy ass outside, I’m waiting in the car.”_

_“What-“_

_He hung up._

_Vegard frowned and gazed through the curtains, taking notice of the good old Mercedes in the driveway. He hurried outside, nearly slipping on the ice as he walked. Of course Calle couldn’t help but to laugh at the odd walk, and Vegard felt better already, being around someone who didn’t live only to taunt his own brother. The thought made him feel guilty again, and he wanted to apologize; yet his brother was sick of hearing him apologize. It never helped._

_“I really need to do something fun,” Calle said and started the car again, its ancient inner components making noises a car probably shouldn’t make. He glanced sidelong at his passenger and Vegard couldn’t help but to avoid his eyes. Calle frowned at this sudden uneasiness. “What’s up with you?”_

_“Nothing.”_

_“What did he do?”_

_“Nothing.”_

_“Vegard.”_

_“It’s nothing…” his voice broke and he put his face in hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Calle pulled over again. He wrapped his arms around the curly haired one and squeezed, hugging him and letting him bury his face into his chest as he cried. “There’s nothing to worry about, Vegard,” he whispered quietly and buried his face in Vegard’s hair. “He’ll get better, you know. But it takes time for any wound to heal, and while it does, the scab itches. It’ll always bug him.”_

_“It’s… it’s nothing.”_

_“He’ll get better. And we’ll go camping together. We’ll do goofy stuff together; maybe even throw a show together! It’ll be good again.”_

_Calle had been kind that day, kind because he knew how Vegard suffered, and kind because he just couldn’t tell the little bastard no. So, being kind, he had taken Vegard with him to one of the immensely boring museums Bergen had to offer. He hadn’t complained once. Vegard wasn’t impressed though, only grateful. He didn’t know what he would’ve done hadn’t Calle been there to help him out._

_The day drew to an end. It was late in the evening when they arrived at the house again, and the sun had been down for many hours already. Norwegian winter was a dark and dull season. That was perhaps why Christmas seemed so terribly important, especially that year, as it could’ve been a sign of acceptance. It could’ve been a sign of moving on. Bård however, did not wish to take that step into recovery, and there would be a grim end to the already dark day._

_Something seemed wrong from the second he stepped inside of the building and looked around. It reminded him too much of the day he had entered the very same doors, only to find his baby brother in a pool of blood. He shivered at the memory, wishing for dear life that he hadn’t done anything that stupid again. Of course he hadn’t, he tried to tell himself, yet he wasn’t convinced._

_The lights were out, but none of them had been smashed. Nothing had been ruined and the house appeared to be undamaged. That was until he took notice of the missing Christmas tree and decorations, all he had worked so hard to finish that morning. Everything was gone, and for some reason, he felt extremely angered. Bård did these things to test his boundaries, like the therapist had said. But he was an adult, and he needed to realize that this couldn’t carry on for much longer. He couldn’t take it anymore._

_“Bård?” he yelled and walked hastily towards the stairs. “Get down here, now!”_

_There was no reply from the younger one. He groaned, annoyed that he had to be so selfish, that he had to be so stubborn. He decided to go find him anyway and have a serious conversation. If Bård was set on behaving as a spoiled child, then he needed to be the adult and take action, even if the thought seemed less tempting._

_As he reached the top of the stairs, once again parting his lips to call out for his brother, he heard the sound of someone talking. There were raised voices saying: “You shouldn’t have come here! I don’t need this, I don’t fucking need this.”_

_“Bård! Behave yourself. I need to speak to Vegard, now.”_

_“No, the hell you won’t! He doesn’t need it either.”_

_“Look, I’m sorry I-“_

_“What? You’re-“_

_Vegard couldn’t recognize the voice. His brother sounded upset, in pain almost. He tried to make out what they were saying again, but the rest of the conversation was too low and muffled for him to hear, and when it seemed to be over there was silence until the door swung open and a deep voice called out his name. Vegard yelped._

_In front of him stood his father, a man he hadn’t seen since his late childhood and he had hoped never to be near again. Bård stood behind him with puffy eyes. They were in the nursery, and for whatever reason, Vegard noticed that all the furniture had been wrecked, smashed to pieces. A chill went down his spine then, and he didn’t like whatever was going on._

_“I need your help, son.”_

_Son._

_The word sickened him._


	3. Father Dear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their father makes an unexpected visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things may go a little slow from here as I'm making some changes to the story :) I'll try to post a new chapter in not too many days though! Feel free to scold me if I take too long :p 
> 
> Feedback is appreciated :D

_He remembered their father quite vividly. He remembered the women he had cheated on their mother with, and he remembered the alcohol and the drugs he had abused. But what lingered the most was the memory of his father telling him: “sorry, son, but I wasn’t cut out to be a dad” and then walked out on them. Their mother had tried to kill herself that night, and hadn’t it been for Vegard, she would’ve succeeded._

_Bård had suppressed most memories of their father, but sometimes something would remind him of his cruel behaviour, and he would be dragged into that black nothingness again. Depression had haunted him through most of his teenage years, depressions Vegard could only sit by and watch. Words had no effect on him, not until Maria came around and made everything good. Then the drunk driver had put an end to his happiness._

_Their father was undoubtedly back again though, and Bård was angrier than ever. At least it meant he wasn’t as angry with Vegard anymore, now that he could hate something else for a while, and although he shouldn’t, he felt grateful for it. Once again he was the source of his brother’s safety and admiration. It was nice to feel at least a little appreciated._

_Their father had wanted his help because he knew they sat on a lot of money after the passing of their mother. He was in deep shit when it came to his economic situation, and he knew how to take advantage of the very same flesh and blood he had neglected for years and years. The brothers weren’t grateful to say the least, and Vegard had been tempted to throw him out. He remembered things Bård didn’t, and some memories were bad, some memories were really bad. They had no use of this man whatsoever, he decided, seeing they were already in the middle of a crisis. They had no use of another one._

_“I’m sorry, dad, but you’re not welcome here. I’ll see you out,” Vegard said through clenched teeth, annoyed at how this man could simply stand there and talk of his own issues, knowing what Bård was going through. The man looked as if he was about to protest, but he noticed the glare of his youngest son, and he kept his mouth shut instead. “Fine,” he said and followed Vegard downstairs, leaving Bård to his puzzled self again._

_“Why the heck did you come here?” Vegard hissed as they stood in the entry. The older man shook his head. He had no shame in life, Vegard could tell. “Don’t you see what you’ve done to us? Out mother is dead and he lost his wife and child! Don’t you understand that we want nothing to do with you? We’re trying to cope with the accident, and then you… you can’t do this.”_

_The man shook his head again, pushing Vegard closer to the edge. “It wasn’t an accident,” his father said and closed the door behind them. Vegard looked bewildered, then angry. “What the hell are you talking about?”_

_“A lot of bad stuff is going on in my life… the debt is either going to kill me, or it’ll kill Bård.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“Just… keep a close eye on him, okay? Just because I haven’t been… around, it doesn’t mean I don’t care. I love you two boys.”_

_Vegard ignored the latter statement. To even imply that he cared, even if he did, was a crime against them. He didn’t want to hear excuses, and he didn’t want to hear apologies, much like his brother didn’t enjoy hearing them from him. He could truly understand why. “Why do I need to keep an eye on him?” their father looked him in the eyes for a moment there, and he could he doubted whether to tell or not. “I don’t think it was an accident, that’s why. Hadn’t it been for what happened, I would’ve have come here in-“  
“Shut up, okay? I don’t give a fuck about you. Just tell me what the hell is going on?”_

_“I don’t think it’s safe… maybe if we meet more often-“  
“Goodbye.” _

_“Vegard-“_

_“I said goodbye. Now get the fuck out or I’ll call the police.”_

_The man nodded, then grunted, then turned right on his heel and walked away. Before Vegard closed and locked the door behind him, the older man shouted: “I left my address with your brother” and Vegard felt all the blood drain from his face. Whatever was going on, it sure as hell wasn’t good._

_Vegard wasn’t quite sure where Bård was. He had simply wandered off, and now that the nursery was reduced to matchwood as well, there weren’t really many comfort zones left in the building. He tried calling him several times, yet there was no use. Bård had simply vanished into the thin air._

_Calle came by later that evening. For the second time, he had found Bård, and this time he even followed him inside. The youngster was pale and cold and looked as if he had gone through hell. Vegard wanted to bawl him out, but was too happy to see him again to do anything but hug him. To his great surprise, the hug was returned._

_“He has been stalking us,” Bård said whilst he drank a cup of hot chocolate that Calle had prepared for him. “He knows too much about us… I mean, it’s odd that someone who is a complete alcoholic is able to do things like that…”_

_“Like what?” Calle asked, a look of worry on his face._

_“He broke in. I… I sort of freaked out after you took off, and I was in the nursery… suddenly he was there.”_

_“What?”_

_Vegard felt nauseous at the new information. “He… he broke in?”_

_“Do you need a hearing aid? Yes, he broke in, for fucks sake.”_

_“How?”_

_Bård shook his head. “How should I know? I know he was there, right behind me. I didn’t even recognize him at first.” Calle interfered then, having listened to the conversation with genuine interest and worry for the siblings. “I think you should get an alarm system.” They both agreed to this._

_Calle stayed for a few hours before he drove back home. His girlfriend sounded unhappy when he finally managed to call her back, and although his excuse seemed good enough to them, it obviously didn’t seem good enough to her. He seemed both weary and sad as he left, and for the first time, the brothers realized that something was going on with Calle, something he did a good job at hiding._

_“Why is the tree gone?” was all Vegard managed to ask as they sat alone in front of the fireplace. The younger brother remembered with sudden guilt the Christmas tree and decorations he had thrown out, having thrown a tantrum again. His cheeks reddened with painful awareness of his own actions, and what pain they caused his brother._

_“I’m sorry,” was all he managed before he ran upstairs and locked the door to his room, not at all wanting to speak to Vegard._


	4. Your Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sort of abandoned this for a while (sorry about that). Here is another chapter though, and one more will be here shortly ;)

It didn’t feel like Christmas. The house was naked and lacked of decorations, his brother never around anymore. After their father’s less than pleasant visit, Bård had been extremely paranoid and wouldn’t leave his room unless Vegard forced him to. But that would never turn out good, and he decided to surrender. Bård would leave his room when he felt safe enough to do so, he had concluded, and he had therefore changed every single lock and also purchased a highly expensive alarm system. It hadn’t helped though, and there were still three days until Christmas. He couldn’t wait for it to be over. 

Calle came over again. He looked pale and sleep deprived, something that worried Vegard, and even though he tried to make him speak, Calle’s lips were sealed. 

“I’m just tired because of Christmas, you know…” but Vegard didn’t know, and for every day that went by, he grew more and more restless. Every other house in their street had the most beautiful decorations, and whenever he went downtown he’d spot just the perfect gift for his brother, and then he remembered again. Christmas could go to hell for all he cared. 

“You look like shit.” 

Calle yawned. “You too. Sara wondered if you’d come over for dinner tonight?” Vegard sighed. His eyes fell to his feet. “I dunno about Bård.”  
“Tell him to come along if he wants to, and you, you’ll just come anyway, okay?”  
“But I shouldn’t leave him again after… well, you know.”  
“No, I don’t know. He’s a big boy, okay? He actually knows how to care for himself, and you have to show him you trust him.” 

Vegard nodded. He knew Calle was right, but he didn’t fully agree with him simply because he was right. The reason why he didn’t want to leave him alone wasn’t because he didn’t trust him; it was because he knew he needed someone there. And quite frankly, the paranoia was what scared him. Calle hadn’t come to realize that part yet. 

“So, what will that lovely lady of yours be serving us?” Calle smiled briefly at the comment, but Vegard saw right through him. He seemed nervous of sorts. “Oh, you know. It’s an usual Christmas dish, I suppose.” Vegard raised a brow at the very unspecific reply and the absent-minded expression on his face. “Yeah, okay… Are you feeling fine?” 

There was a brief pause between them. A wave of nausea passed over the older one, and he closed his eyes and swallowed hard. A stifled “yes” made its way through thin lips, not very convincing to say the least. Vegard chose not to pick at his words though, and instead gave him a subtle smile. Calle was thankful for that, he could tell. 

“I guess I’ll see you two tonight then,” he said, suddenly very eager to leave. Vegard had nodded, then watched as his old friend took his leave. The Mercedes disappeared into the pitch-black nothingness of the Norwegian winter, as unforgiving and cold as always. Vegard was left to himself again, and the house was quiet, too quiet. With a weary sigh, he realized that he needed to speak to his brother.

 

Bård was not feeling fine. Things had been bad in the first place, but the interference of their father had pushed his limits further – as far as they could possibly go. In all frankness, he didn’t know for how much longer he could possibly keep himself going. His room seemed to be the only place he felt safe, at least with the door locked and no unwelcome people in view. 

Silence was everything that mattered – and Vegard, of course. The thought hit him the moment his big brother knocked on the door, yet didn’t bother to wait for him to open. He simply walked into the room and looked around. 

It was untidy, much like Bård’s mind at the time. 

“You don’t look too good,” he commented. Bård dint even bother replying to the obvious and answered with an annoyed “what do you want?” receiving an odd look from his brother.  
“We’re going to Calle’s place tonight – protest all you want, but we’re-“

“Shut up for a second, will you? Jeez!” Bård groaned and shot him an angry look that made the older brother flinch, feeling somehow exposed. His baby brother’s bad mood affected him quite strongly, which he knew, and of course he used it for his own advantages. “Don’t you have plans with him on New Year’s Eve as well? You don’t have to live on top of the poor guy, you know.” 

“We,” Vegard cleared his throat. “We have plans with Calle.” 

Bård glared at him, willing his glare to pierce through his forehead. “Whatever,” he muttered and gazed out through the window, wishing more than anything in the world he could’ve just disappeared into the night. “I’ll stay here. I’m sure they’d rather have just you over anyway.” 

Anger welled up in the older sibling as soon as the words had been put into the open, his baby brother’s obvious self-pity making him sick to his stomach. “Fine,” he whispered. “Have it your way, Bård. Don’t make any sacrifices.” 

“Sacrifices?” Bård said, voice brimming with disbelief. “Who the hell are you to accuse me of not making enough sacrifices, hmm? I’ve had my entire family killed, do you understand that you fucking piece of shit-“

“Not your entire family, Bård,” Vegard breathed, eyes glassy and voice quavering dangerously. “I’m still here, you know, every goddamn day.”

“Leave me alone,” the younger one demanded, his voice firm as he spoke. “Are you deaf?! I want you the fuck out of my room! Now!”

“Have it your way,” the oldest sibling repeated, sending Bård a look of disapproval as he closed the door, yet Bård seemed totally unaffected by it. The accident had reshaped him into a colder and more careless human being, unaffected even by his brother’s tears. Vegard didn’t know how to cope anymore, or whether he could stay strong enough to deal with him anymore, if he’d just let him sink further and further into the black depths of his distorted mind. He hoped he could stay strong, hoped for it more dearly than anything else.


	5. The Attic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised a new chapter and here it is :D enjoy :3

It had been long since Vegard had slept as peacefully as he had that night, not haunted by the ghosts of his guilty conscience. Perhaps he had even dreamt happy dreams for once, but he was almost glad that he couldn’t remember. He just lay there, drifting in and out of sleep as sunbeams danced across his face and body. Eventually a little voice in the back of his head woke him up, asking him whether it was such a good idea to leave Bård to himself for such a long time. It got him wondering whether he should get his act together again or not. 

His vision was blurring, his head pounding from what had to be the worst hangover Vegard had ever suffered. He groaned, knowing very well that it was the consequences of having been continuously drunk for two days in a row. The room was spinning as he tried to sit up straight, nearly falling out of bed as he tried. 

“Fuck,” he groaned again, stretching his sore limbs while attempting to remember what had been going on for the last two days. 

Bård had been alone at home for more than a day. “Shit.” 

And Calle? Things had been so bad during dinner, with him and his girlfriend. The room had been thick with tension, if he remembered correctly. That’s when the heavy drinking had begun, and not just that? Did he remember seeing Calle with a joint? He frowned at the faint memory, but chose not to confront the other man about it. Vegard knew that Calle had been smoking for quite some time, but he had promised his girlfriend that he would quit…

Then again, they had not looked like the best of friends during dinner. 

It dawned on him then. There was a cold war going on between the couple, no wonder Calle hadn’t been himself lately. Vegard wondered why he had even stayed around, but remembered that it had felt so good to be away from Bård for just a few hours. There was, after all, an ongoing cold war in their house as well. 

The thought made him focus on the silence that had become so familiar over the last few months. He couldn’t hear any signs of life from inside the house, only the faint sound of the highway not far from them. What time was it? He tried to check it on his phone, but it was dead. Vegard sighed as he forced himself out of bed, wanting nothing but to stay under the duvet all day long. 

 

Downstairs smelled like coffee. Vegard wrinkled his nose at the smell, never having cared much for the bitter liquid, but then frowned in a thoughtful manner. It was peculiar, seeing he most certainly had not brewed any coffee that morning, unless he had been sleepwalking. It had to mean that his brother was actually up before him, and that hadn’t really happened since way before the accident. Bård had seemed to be isolating himself inside of his room since their father had broken in, telling them all sorts of weird things to get to their bank accounts. It had made Vegard angry, especially because Bård had gotten so scared, no longer feeling safe inside his own house. 

“Bård?” he called out softly, but he didn’t get any response, so he decided to walk into the kitchen. He immediately spotted the coffee machine that had been abounded. Vegard rolled his eyes; a little annoyed that Bård couldn’t remember to turn the damn thing off, irresponsible as he was. Then he remembered that Bård had actually made himself coffee. Perhaps he was feeling better? The thought lightened his heart, yet he dared not get his hopes up and tried to forget about his wish instead.

“Bård?” he repeated and looked around, feeling a little uneasy all of a sudden. 

Vegard continued his search in the living room and bathroom, yet Bård was nowhere to be found. It made him feel anxious, and he continued to call out for the younger one. But the house was as quiet as ever, and no reply was thrown back at him. Not until he walked up to the attic, which had not yet been fully restored. 

“Bård?” he called out again, voice more desperate now. “You in there?” 

He couldn’t make out much of the darkened room, yet it was evident that someone was there with him. It was this weird thing between them, always able to sense the other’s presence. And sure enough, there he was. “Stay away from me, Vegard,” he rasped out in that wonderful voice of his, yet so broken from all the hardship he had endured. Vegard knew it was going to be another one of those bad days, yet he couldn’t keep away. He had to be close. 

Bård sat alone next to the window, watching the snow as it fell onto the ground and covered the world in a familiar white blanket they had once loved. Their childhood seemed like some distant memory at that point, yet one thing remained the same as always: they stayed together. Vegard would be the grownup and Bård would be the child. That never changed. 

“What are you sitting up here for?” Vegard asked, taking a seat next to his brother whose face remained hidden by the dark. Outside everything was black and windy and just plain sad. Not the smallest star was to be seen up in the sky, and if Vegard had understood the weather reports correctly, it wouldn’t change. It would be a cold and dark Christmas, one that would be hard on him and even harder on his baby brother. 

“None of your goddamn business, is it?” Bård snarled and hugged his knees against his chest, obviously anxious about something. He could understand him though. It was the day before Christmas and he had lost everything dear to him, everything but his older brother. Vegard felt like a rather poor replacement. “Bård…” he whispered, reaching out for him, yet it was not tolerated. “Don’t you dare,” Bård hissed, looking like he was ready to attack.   
“Christmas is coming up.”   
“No.”   
“Tomorrow, actually-“  
“Shut the fuck up.”   
“Tell me what you want, Bård.” 

There was a pause then, one that lasted far too long to be anywhere near good. Then the youngster shook his head. “I don’t want Christmas, I’ve told you that before,” he whispered and looked to his brother with glassy eyes. “I want to be alone… please? Just leave me alone…” Vegard rolled his eyes at the hopeless request. “If you really think I’m gonna let you spend Christmas alone, then you’re probably the biggest moron I’ve ever met.” Bård looked away, his face pale and blank. Vegard’s heart wept silently at the sight.

“Look,” he whispered silently into his ear. “Calle invited us over for Christmas…” he tried, yet the panicked expression on Bård’s face put everything into the open. “No,” he said and shook his head. “No fucking way… but… can’t you go?” Vegard sighed. “I’m not leaving you, Bård.”   
“You should.”   
“Bård… Shut the hell up, will you?” 

Bård wrapped his arms around Vegard all of a sudden, catching the older brother by surprise, and even more so as he leaned closer and cried into the hollow of his neck, putting his fingers through the black curls at the nape of his neck. The sudden turn of events left him a little puzzled, but he didn’t bother to care. All he truly cared about he held in his arms and cradled, cradled as if he was an infant. But he was even more vulnerable, and he dared not look away. “Don’t be so stupid, Bård,” he whispered and continued to cradle him. “Don’t think I’ll ever leave you again. Don’t be that stupid. Kay?” 

The younger brother didn’t provide him with an answer to the halfway request halfway sweet nothings. Tears were still trickling down his cheeks and he was trembling, not able to hold back anymore. “I’ve been bad,” he said and snuggled even closer to his older brother, tears now soaking through his t-shirt. “I’ve been so, so bad to you… you hate me now-“  
“No-no. Don’t say that, Bård. It’s not true, you know that I love you.” 

Vegard held him like that for quite some time, gently rocking him back and forth. When his sobs eventually turned into sniffles, he pulled back, looking up at his big brother with fright and shame in his pale blue eyes. He had opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something, and then closed it again. The words were stuck in his mouth, but Vegard simply ignored it, knowing those three words by heart already. 

“Let’s go downstairs and watch a movie, yeah?” he asked and looked up at the sky, swearing he could see one single star twinkling. Bård didn’t say anything, but he saw it too. It was so small and nearly shivering, looking quite pitiable. “Okay,” Bård said, not taking his eyes off the tiny star. And suddenly, another star came into sight, a big one right next to the little one. “Hey, Vegard? You can pick which one.” The older one smiled at that. “Great. Too bad we’ve only got your movie collection here.” 

“Yeah, it sucks to be you, doesn’t it?” 

“And I only just remembered that I have the worst headache in the history of bad headaches.” 

Bård smirked at that. “Too bad for you.”


	6. Merry Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo, I'm really bad at posting chapters on a regular basis xD sorry
> 
> I'll try to get better… (eheheh)
> 
> Anyways, enjoy :p oh, and a Merry Christmas to you all xD

It was one heck of a merry Christmas Day, at least to the Norwegians who hadn’t just recently suffered the death of their wives, their children, parents or anyone else who stood them close for the matter. Vegard peeked through the curtains and tried to catch a glimpse of the neighbours through the vast bay window where he had watched them decorate the three together a few nights ago. Inside he saw two children, a big brother and a baby sister, sitting next to each other on the couch, laughing at the television. For a moment, he shared their joy, smiling, and then everything came crashing down again. 

Bård had thrown out the decorations he had bought, every single one of them, and while he was perfectly understanding of why, he thought it was more than a little sad. Only by stealing little glances of their neighbours celebration could he take part himself, and even if they had been close to normal the other night, watching the same kind of movies they had as kids, it still felt unfair. He didn’t even want to get out of bed. 

Boy, was Vegard going to be surprised though. 

While he sat there, absorbed by his own depressive thoughts, something rather odd came into view, and it took Vegard quite a few seconds to realize what was going on. Bård stood outside, wearing nothing but his pyjamas and a Christmas ribbon in his hair. He was pulling at something, something that made Vegard’s eyes grow large like dinner plates. “Holy shit.”

And holy shit it was. Bård had brought along the largest and most dense silver fir he had ever seen his entire life, for indoor use that is. He had obviously seen them outside quite a few times before. 

Vegard almost stumbled down the stairs, pulling his pants on as he went and opened the door for his brother, helping him with the tree. “What the actual fuck is going on?” he asked as they reached the door, Bård breathing heavily as he tugged at the trunk, almost desperate to get the tree inside. “What does it look like? We’re having a goddamn Christmas tree so that you’ll stop giving me that sad, lost, little puppy look of yours!”

Vegard didn’t answer to that, he simply just smiled, something Bård rolled his eyes at. “And stop smiling like a dork, jeez! Or else I’ll just burn the damn thing in the fireplace right now.” 

“Did you actually go into the woods in your pyjamas in the middle of winter to get your brother a Christmas tree?” Bård groaned at the question, finally managing to get the insanely large tree into the hallway. “Let’s just not talk about this ever again and get this goddamn tree into the living room, okay?” 

Vegard shook his head, “Nah”, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“Damn you.” 

“But I’ll help you carry it. And isn’t it too tall?” 

Bård shot his brother an annoyed look, letting out a muffled: “Shut up”, which made the older brother chuckle with delight. 

 

Vegard watched his younger sibling as he snored lightly, a blanket covering his lithe body, keeping him warm. He was grateful that they now had one hell of a large Christmas tree, but not much else as far as it came to decorations or presents. So, they celebrated a more spiritual and sparse Christmas that year. And Bård seemed much, much better, which was a far better gift than anything he could’ve hoped for. 

Suddenly the doorbell rang, forcing him out of his thoughts once again. He smiled as he walked towards the door, thinking it would be their blonde friend coming over with presents and reminding them of New Year’s Eve.

It wasn’t. 

“Hello?”

No one was at the door, but there was a large sack waiting for him, brimming with what had to be Christmas presents. He frowned, looking around, yet he couldn’t spot the old Mercedes in the driveway nor could he hear the giggling of his old friend from around the corner. It was very suspicious to say the least. 

“Hello?” he asked again, but to no use. 

“Vegard?”

Bård was standing in the hallway, his hair messy, still adorned by the red ribbon, and his eyes tired. Needless to say, his little morning adventure in the woods had gotten him cold, now he was starting to get sick. “Who was that, and are those Christmas presents?” 

“I don’t know,” Vegard said and shut the door carefully, throwing one last glance outside. He had a bad feeling about whatever was going on. “And you should really go take a bath, you know. Tomorrow you’ll be coming down with something.” 

Bård rolled his eyes at Vegard’s request, much like he always would. “Lay off my back for one day, will you? It’s Christmas Eve… and oh, in case you’ve forgotten… I am an actual adult now.” 

The older brother didn’t reply to that, but gave Bård a taste of his own medicine, rolling his eyes at him and then smiling as Bård hit him playfully. It was almost too good to be true, how happy he seemed. “Did Calle give you those?” 

“Mmm I don’t know,” Vegard said and looked at the four reasonably large presents, the gift-wrap golden with red ribbons on them. Two were for him, two for his brother. “I don’t even care,” Bård said and smiled – no, grinned! He was like a small child again, hands eager to touch and study the presents thoroughly, trying to guess what they held. 

Vegard didn’t even have the time to protest and tell Bård to wait until after dinner, seeing his little brother was ripping off the gift-wrap, still grinning like a very satisfied child. 

“Woah,” he breathed, staring at a very expensive pair of speakers. “Who-“

“Bård,” Vegard interrupted, having scanned the tiny card that had been attached to the present before Bård had torn it. “It’s… it’s from dad.”

The room went dead silent, his words echoing through the younger brother’s head like the sound of gunfire through the mountains. He put the speakers down, looking away, looking out through the windowpanes and into the pitch-black world outside their living room. Vegard waited to see his reaction, but for a couple of minutes, there was nothing but silence. 

“Do you want me to call Calle and ask him to stay for a while?” 

Bård turned to look at him then, shaking his head. Vegard noticed how his face was completely blank, but his eyes were full of hatred, confusion and also fear. 

“No. Just… just take this trash out of my home, will you?” 

“Yeah, okay, but don’t you thi-” 

“You’re the one who brought it inside, so just do it, alright?” 

Vegard nodded slowly, doing what his brother had asked him to without hesitation. He had expected a very different reaction, yet he knew this, it had happened before. It was the lull before the storm. 

He dumped the presents in the trashcan, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as he did, hoping the old guy would soon give them a break. Vegard knew exactly what he wanted from them, but the money belonged to no one but him and Bård… 

“Bård,” he whispered to himself, feeling a little frightened all of a sudden. What would happen now, after such a grim surprise? He shouldn’t have gone outside, he shouldn’t have left Bård alone in the house. The older brother felt a surge of panic, and nearly running for the door, Vegard managed to catch a glimpse of someone from the corner of his eye, someone that made him come to a halt. 

“Vegard…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I'm sorry for upsetting Bård... again… yeah…)


End file.
